There's Not A Serious Word In Political Farce

July 31, 2000|By BILL HIRSCHMAN Staff Writer

Now here's an idea for a musical:

A young, charismatic United States president and a bright, beautiful first lady are elected on a platform consisting of little more than "All You Need Is Love." But their idyll is threatened when a jilted minx claims the president has acted scandalously and his enemies threaten impeachment.

No, this isn't Primary Colors set to music or the plot for a show opening on Broadway in 2001; it's the plot of a show that opened on Broadway in 1931.

The Royal Palm Festival Dinner Theatre may hope that audiences will revel in the irony of how recent events parallel the 69-year-old Of Thee I Sing. In fact, there aren't many, not even a hint of anything as snarky as a stained blue dress.

But that's all right. Of Thee I Sing remains a surprisingly timeless satire that gently jabs at empty-headed fools who get elected and, by indirection, the equally empty-headed fools who elected them (meaning you and me).

"We're appealing to your hearts, not your intelligence," candidate John P. Wintergreen announces with no sense of irony.

And the members of Jan McArt's talented troupe are just the folks to make good on that campaign promise, providing an entertaining if undemanding evening of music and humor.

How can you go wrong with this pedigree? The tuneful music and witty lyrics are by those Gershwin boys; the lampoon of a book is by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind, who penned the Marx Brothers' Cocoanuts and Animal Crackers. As producer McArt warned her opening night crowd: There isn't a serious word in the show.

There aren't any show-stoppers and not many belly laughs, but the audience was contentedly chuckling throughout the night at such sly exchanges as:

Party hack 1: "He even sounds like a president." Party hack 2: "That's why we picked him."

Or:

Presidential aide: "There's a delegation from the Virgin Islands. They want their name changed. They say it's hurting business."

Man about town Wintergreen (Steven Flaa) needs a wife for his presidential run, so his cronies rig a national beauty contest promptly won by the siren, Diana Devereaux (Christie Mascoretto). But Wintergreen perversely falls for secretary Mary Turner (Ann O'Kane) who, after all, makes a mean batch of corn muffins.

They win the White House based on his complex political and economic philosophy of "Hey, love's terrific."

But France calls for his impeachment because the jilted Devereaux is "the illegitimate daughter of an illegitimate son of an illegitimate nephew of Napoleon."

It's the rogues' gallery of character actors playing the political cronies who turn in the best performances, including Elias Eliadis, Peter Haig and especially Jerry Gulledge in a triple role.

Of Thee I Sing said to an audience still reeling from the Depression that politics is too trivial a thing to take seriously. If that message wasn't and isn't intellectually honest, it was and is a lot of fun.